Cartridge loading platform for firearms



Jan. 24, 195% MULNO 7 2,495,334?- CARTRIDGE LOADING PLATFORM FOR FIREARMS Filed May 27, 1948 INVENTOR. Z5721? .F/Vw 4/0 Patented Jan. 24, 1950 umrso STATES TENT OFFICE- Lester F. Mulno, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Harrington & Richardson Arms Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 27, 1948, Serial No. 29,453

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and improved loading platforms for firearms and more particularly for single shot bolt action firearms.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a movable platform at the breech of the firearm and having means to hold the same normally in position to receive a cartridge through a port in the receiver and support and guide the cartridge to the breech during the forward or breech closing motion of the breech bolt to the end that the cartridge need not be carefully placed or inserted in the breech, as heretofore, prior to closing the breech by shoving home the bolt, but on the contrary, the cartridge may merely be dropped in through the aforesaid port onto the platform and is guided into the breech wholly automatically by the platform as the bolt is moved forwardly to close the breech.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a rifle of the single shot reciprocable bolt action type having a receiver with an ejection port therein at the top or side adjacent the breech and there being another port in the receiver at the bottom thereof, and including a stud depending from the receiver forwardly of the second port, on which is pivoted a top grooved loading platform, made of pressed metal, a spring normally urging the platform upwardly into the second port in position to receive a cartridge in the groove in line with the bore of the barrel, the bolt of the firearm being shoved home to close the breech, pushing the cartridge into the breech and depressing the platform to out of the way position until the bolt is retracted to extract and eject the spent shell, whereupon the platform spring causes the platform to pivot around to raised operative position once more.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the receiver of a firearm and showing the new loading platform in operative position with the bolt retracted;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the bolt in breech closed position and the loading platform moved out of the way;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the platform.

As shown in the drawings, the present invention is illustrated as applied to a rifle having a barrel ill, a receiver [2, and a reciprocating bolt 14. The receiver has an ejection port l6 and a bottom port I8, and the 11011: is provided with a bevel 20 at the low side of the forward end thereof. The bolt may be reciprocated by hand as by means of a bolt handle, and it may rotate also, but it will be equipped with the usual firing pin, extractors, ejectors, etc., not shown and forming no part of the present invention.

Forwardly of the port Hi there is a depending stud 22 carrying a pivot pin 24 for the new loading platform 26. The loading platform is easiest made of pressed metal in U-shape, and has a longitudinally grooved top at 28, an inclined or curved rear end 30, and a stop tab 32.

A spring 34 is wound on pin 24 and bears at one end on the receiver and at the opposite end on the underside of the loading platform to constantly and resiliently urge the platform upwardly through port Hi to be located mainly in the receiver. In this position, the groove 28 is aligned with the bore of the barrel and the stop tab 32 abuts the underside of the receiver to the rear of port l8.

In the operation of the device, a cartridge is merely placed in the groove in the platform as in Fig. l, and the bolt is then shoved home closing the breech and placing the cartridge in firing position, see Fig. 2. At the same time the platform 26 is pivoted down out of the way by the bolt bevel 20 and the firearm operates in a normal manner. When the bolt is retracted and the spent shell extracted and ejected, the platform springs up to again take its operative cartridge guiding position.

This invention will be seen to provide a simple, efficient, and positive device for assuring that the cartridge will be placed in correct position in the breech, merely by the act of closing the breech by means of the bolt, and that the cartridge need never be placed in the breech but only on the platform, rendering the operation of the firearm faster and easier.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

Cartridge loading platform for a single shot, hand operated bolt action firearm including a receiver, a bolt, and a barrel, said platform comprising a sheet metal grooved member, a pair of spaced down-turned ears thereon, portions of said ears extending forwardly of the member, the latter having a portion downwardly curved to the rear, the forwardly extending portions of the ears being pivoted to the receiver under the breech of the barrel, the receiver having an opening up through which the member extends, a spring to 2,495,384 3 4 bias the member up, the groove being linear and REFERENCES CITED aligned linearly with the bore of the barrel with the groove in the member and the bore in the The following references are of record in the barrel being in aligned relation only when the file of this patent:

platform is in loading position the member being 5 in the path of the bolt, the latter striking the UNITED STATES PATENTS downwardly Curved rear portion of the member Number 7 Name Date to depress the same so the bolt can close the 1,660,282 r r Feb. 21, 1928 breech. 2,1 ,119 R ising NOV. 8, 1938 2,320,403 Brewer June 1, 1943 LESTER F; 'MULNO. 2364;548 Pedersen Dec. 5, 1944 

